THREE more small schools were earmarked for closure yesterday by a council determined to do the bidding of accountants in the District Audit.

Carmarthenshire County Council took just six minutes to agree to begin closure consultations with school governors and parents of Cwmifor near Llandeilo, Cefnbrynbrain in the Amman Valley and Llanddowror near St Clears.

The move follows the council's decision to close five schools in the Pencader and Llanboidy areas in the face of determined local opposition.

It was greeted with whistles and shouts from a packed public gallery that forced councillors to take an unscheduled 15-minute adjournment.

The Welsh Language Society promised protests on the National Eisteddfod field next week and appealed to Plaid Cymru, which shares power on Carmarthenshire Council with Independent council-lors, to intervene.

"New Labour has given up on any pretence of fighting for weak and vulnerable communities," said society education spokesman Ffred Ffransis.

However, all the Plaid councillors backed the move, and Carmarthen-shire education executive councillor Mary Thomas said more closures were imminent.

"There will be fewer school but they will be better schools," she said.

The issue, driven by attempts to reduce costs, is likely to end up on National Assembly Education Minister Jane Davidson's desk, along with five other Carmarthenshire schools, three from Pembrokeshire and six from Monmouthshire, whose council cabinet meets today to rubber-stamp the closure of schools at Llanfoist, Llanover, Llanellen, Llanfair Kilgeddin, St David's and Green Lane.

Ms Davidson refuses to be inter-viewed on the matter, insisting that she has a quasi-judicial role to decide on closures in the event of objections by local people who often suffer the loss of their only communal building.

So far she has dismissed - some objectors say disregarded - all opposition and agreed to close six schools in the past 12 months.